enerally have plenty of spare enthusiasm, and when Fritz
gave the required signal they let out a roar, as usual.

"There, that was certainly an answering call!" declared Jotham, proudly.

"Sounded like he said just two words--'help--hurry!'" spoke up Babe.

Somehow the rest seemed to be of about the same opinion, and the thought
gave the scouts a strange thrill. Was the unfortunate aeronaut slowly
bleeding to death, lying there amidst the bushes on that tongue of land?
They had given up their dearly cherished plan in order to rescue him,
and had undergone considerable in the line of strenuous work, so as to
arrive in time, and now that they were so close to the scene of his
disaster it would be too bad if they were held back until it was too
late to do him any good.

"Can't we hit it up a little faster, Paul?" begged Andy, who was rather
inclined to be impulsive, because of the warm Southern blood that flowed
in his veins.

They had once more started on, and were really making pretty good
progress; but when one gives way to impatience, it may seem that a fair
amount of speed is next door to standing still.

Paul understood the generous impulse that caused the Kentucky boy to
speak in this strain and while he knew that it was dangerous to attempt
any swifter pace than they were then making, still, for once, he bowed
to the will of the majority, and began to increase his speed.

All went well, for beyond a few minor mishaps they managed to get along.
What if one of the scouts did occasionally slip off the wretched
footing, and splash into the mud; a helping hand was always ready to do
the needful, and the delay could hardly be noticed.

"There's the beginning of the firm ground just ahead!" Paul presently
remarked, thinking to cheer his comrades with the good news.

"Oh! joy!" breathed Jotham, who often used queer expressions, that is,
rather odd to hear from a boy.

Seth was the more natural one of the two when he gave vent to his
delight by using the one expressive word:

"Bully!"

In a couple of minutes at this rate they would have reached the place
where the slippery trail merged into the more solid ground.

Perhaps some of the others may not as yet have noticed strange sounds
welling up out of the bushes beyond, but Paul certainly did, and he was
greatly puzzled to account for the same.

That singular growling could not be the wind passing through the upper
branches of the trees, for one thing. It see